The Librarian with a Secret
by sweetie buttons
Summary: Mr. Mortman always considered himself a good librarian, but he had a secret. One day, when someone figured it out, he knew he was in grave danger. [The Girl Who Cried Monster from Mortman's POV]
1. Chapter 1

**I've heard people say Mr. Mortman is misunderstood, and I've heard a few people say it would be interesting to see the book from his POV. I thought both of those ideas were interesting. More chapters will be added, with the events of the book.**

Mr. Mortman liked being a librarian.

Most would consider it a somewhat dull job, but he liked it just fine. He liked the routine and monotony, the piney smell of old books, the sight of people reading, and even the dark and secluded Timberland Falls library (though most found it creepy). He also liked coaching the Reading Rangers program during the summer, even if some of the children were... less than enthusiastic.

He took being a librarian very seriously. He made sure the shelves of books and card catalogs were arranged properly, without a single one out of order. He always helped people who entered the library find the books they requested, like any good librarian. Like any good librarian, he cared deeply about encouraging people to read and keeping the library neat and organized.

Anyone who entered the library would consider him no different from any other librarian. There might be one or two things that stood out to them, like his constantly sopping wet hands, his high, scratchy voice, or his collection of pet turtles, but nothing overtly so.

However, there was one minor detail about Mr. Mortman that made him slightly different from most librarians. A very small thing, really, but something he felt he had to keep a secret.

Mr. Mortman was a monster.

Every day, after closing the library, he'd transform into his monster form in the privacy of the library, and feast on a few of his turtles. Then he'd transform back into a human, leave the library and go to his house, where he might also have a few snacks.

He kept this a secret because he knew that if anyone found out, they wouldn't see it as he did - a minor detail that made him slightly different from most people. Instead, they'd see him as a villain, an abomination, a danger to others. They'd force him to relinquish his job, capture and arrest him, maybe even kill him. He didn't want that. He wanted to continue being a librarian. Moreover, he wanted to live peacefully, and he knew that if anyone discovered his secret, he wouldn't be able to do that.

So he was always exceedingly careful to keep his true nature a secret. He managed to contain his secret for many years. But then one day, that changed.


	2. Chapter 2

Mr. Mortman could tell that Lucy Dark was one of those children whose parents had forced them to join the Reading Rangers program for the summer. He could tell she wasn't too enthusiastic of a reader and rarely read the books he assigned her.

However, there were certain kinds of stories she liked to read, and those were stories about monsters. She couldn't get enough of them. He tried to discourage her from them, urging her to read classic literature. Not because he actually thought she should, but because her constant monster talk reminded him too much of his secret. He could only imagine how she'd react if she found out she was so close to a _real_ monster.

It was her turn to return the book and present her report at the most recent weekly Reading Rangers meeting. Knowing her, he knew she probably hadn't picked up the book unless it was about monsters.

"And what did you read for Reading Rangers this week, Lucy?" he questioned.

"Uh... Huckleberry Finn," she replied, fishing the book out of her bag. With one look at it, he could tell she had barely touched it. It was too neat, the pages too straight, the cover too shiny. He could tell that a book had been thoroughly read when the cover was more wrinkled and the pages were more creased and untidy. And even if he didn't note those things, he knew she wouldn't touch any book that didn't involve monsters, and Huckleberry Finn definitely didn't.

"Yes, yes. A wonderful book," he replied, deciding to play along anyway. "Don't you agree?"

He half-listened while she replied with some lie about how she couldn't put it down. Her hesitation and nervous tone as she spoke fully confirmed his suspicions about her not reading it. He didn't reveal that knowledge to her, though, giving her a gold star anyway like he did to the children at every Reading Rangers meeting. The book she was reading that week was Frankenstein. He had a feeling she'd like that one more.

Soon it was time to close the library, after parsing through all the other children's book reports. As soon as everyone left, he quickly shut the lights, feeling a sense of satisfaction as the library was blanketed in darkness. He always preferred the darkness to the lights he had to keep on for people when the library was open. There was just something so comforting about the empty blackness that surrounded himself. Maybe it had something to do with being able to transform into his true form in the privacy of the dark library.

There was one thing he forgot to do, just a tiny mistake. He didn't know why he had forgotten it - he always remembered usually. He had gotten into a habit of doing it, but he seemed to have suffered a momentary lapse in judgment on that day. It wasn't a big mistake - it was something that many people often do, and it usually didn't result in anything harmful. It probably also wouldn't have resulted in anything bad for Mr. Mortman either, even including the additional detail of him being a monster, but luck was not on his side on that day.

He did his typical librarian stuff first, like tidying his desk and more prominently, arranging the books and card catalog after people's carelessness with them during the day. Most would find such a job frustrating and tiresome, and also difficult in the utter darkness, but Mortman found it strangely relaxing. And in a strange way, the darkness actually helped him feel more at ease in the library and navigate it more efficiently than with the lights on. Once he was finished with that, it was time for dinner.

Sometimes he had it at his house, and sometimes in the library. He usually felt more at ease in the library, despite how dark and creepy it was. He retrieved a jar of flies and approached his dish pan of turtles. He did keep them for companionship, but also for another reason. He felt slight guilt over it, but not much. Regular people ate animals as well, and they didn't seem to feel _any_ guilt, so he felt he was being generous by feeling even that slight amount.

Before transforming into a monster to eat, he heard the faint noises of creaking. He heard noises like that all the time, with how old and creaky the library was. He only acknowledged the noise temporarily before starting his transformation.

He always transformed before eating. He found it was much easier than eating in human form. Once he finished expanding his head and lengthened his eyes until they were stalks poking out of his face, he enjoyed his dinner. First the flies, then the turtles. He always ate plenty of flies, finding them so small that they were unsatisfying if he just ate a few. He shoved several handfuls into his mouth, taking his time.

He was just about to start on the turtles when he heard a noise again. It was a very slight noise, barely louder than the sound of pages in a book turning, and he might not have even picked up on it if his senses weren't so sharp. Except this time, it wasn't the sound of creaking. It sounded more like footsteps. Very fast footsteps, more like running. The noise was so brief, he wasn't sure he hadn't imagined it. He decided to check anyway, briefly leaving his meal as he turned around to investigate the library.

He thought he heard the noise come from just outside the room. After some investigating, he felt his foot come into contact with something behind the stacks. He looked down and saw a bag. He frowned. He never left his belongings lying around in the library like that. Picking the bag up, he examined it. It was a blue canvas bag, and he quickly noticed a tag. Reading it, it revealed a name and address.

He suddenly realized the seemingly minor, yet this time crucial mistake that he had made.

He had forgotten to lock up the library after closing it.

**I had him enjoying his librarian tasks of arranging the books and card catalog and studying the book to figure out Lucy hadn't read it because of the book noting that he was a librarian as well as a monster when he stopped to rearrange the card catalog after she knocked it over. I guess I'm also portraying him with heightened senses, with being able to see in the dark and hearing Lucy exit the library.**


End file.
